Labor Day Weekend

Last year over Labor Day weekend, Mike and I let our families know that in 2010 there would also be a Labor Day at the end of April.

That was our clever way of sharing the news that we were expecting a baby.  Yes, one baby.  The rest of the news came to all of us in November.

This year, in the three week dramafest that I've created out of returning to work (one week to practice working, one week at work without students, and this coming week the first with students), I decided I didn't want to divide up our extended free time too much.  Aside from him spending most of Sunday golfing with his dad, Mike and I have spent the weekend as a family.  Who needs a cabin up north when you can sit around, eat too much, and complain about the weather at home? 

I was home on Friday and spent it like I have most days since the babies were born--feeding, changing, rocking, playing, reading, and just generally soaking in as much babiness as possible.

On Saturday Mike and I took advantage of the blank slate before us and spontaneously took Sophie and Michael to the Toldedo Zoo.  Neither (well, none) of us had been there before and honestly expected a little more.  All I've ever heard of the Toldedo Zoo is that it's way better than the Detroit Zoo, but we didn't find it to be so far superior.  Perhaps we're especially sentimental about the Detroit Zoo as it was the location of our first quintessential family outing on Mike's first Father's Day.  I'll admit that there's nothing at Detroit's that compares to Toledo's aquarium, seeing hippos underwater is pretty cool, and there was more to see in their reptile exhibit including a crocodile, but overall we like the set-up of "our zoo" better.  Our polar bear exhibit is way cooler, even without a full-sized stuffed one to take pictures with....like this one in Toledo:

After the zoo we intended to take the babies to Lone Star Steakhouse, the restaurant where Mike and I worked and met each other, but the remaining two locations even somewhat near home have also closed (the one we actually worked at became a Panera years ago).  We ended up at a Cracker Barrell just up the road from the second closed Lone Star we attempted to eat at.  This was our first time eating out with the babies NOT on a patio, and we loved the car seat adapter contraptions they put over the chairs for the babies to rest in.  Both babies were ready for naps and needed some comforting before we finished our meals (Mike even walked Sophie around outside), but overall they were very easy-going on our day-long outing.

Now, let it be known that Sophie was very quiet for her first four and a half months of life, "speaking" primarly in breathy Marilyn Monroe style syllables.  From this point on, I don't think that's going to be the case.  She recently found her strong voice, and her tales are as charming as Michael's (see the video below of one of my first "chats" with Michael a few months ago).

 

Instead of barbecuing at home on Monday, Mike and I invited our families out to Cheeburger Cheeburger for dinner on Sunday, and Sophie entertained us with her spirited ooohs, ahhhs, and squeals. 

Michael chose to cuddle up under a baby blanket with his Grammie while Sophie took the spotlight on this occasion.

As predicted, Sophie was sound asleep by the time we got home (a ten minute drive, tops).  I should have filmed a little video of her when I took her out of the car.  She looked up, smiled at me and the camera with the same child-star enthusiasm she showed us through dinner, and dropped her head back down like this in exhaustion several times in a row.

Today Mike and I are spending the day at home.  He went for a run, is working on his laundry, and will be making some chili for us to feed on for the next few days.  I've just been focused on the babies, enjoyed catching up on Mad Men with Mike, Sophie, and Michael lounging with me, and now I'm doing stuff for work.  Clearly.  Ok, here I go.  Any second.  Ready, set....almost.